Team Ezer has officially been in Albania for over 2 weeks, and what a world wind it has been. These past couple of weeks have been full of learning many new things about myself – growth, sweet times of fellowship, challenges and learning to dive deeper into what the Lord has for me. Everyday their is something new to learn, see or do; and every night I find myself asking the Lord what more could he have for me and this team and the answer he always gives me is wait and see.
When our team first stepped off the plane we had no idea what to expect. The air was warm and dry as our team piled into a van driven by a middle age Albanian man (who did not speak a word of English). We were trusting him get us to our new home for the next month. After an hour drive we pulled up to the Lezha Academic Center to see open arms, stunning smiles, and hearts ready to make us feel at home. We were swept up to the 5th floor of the school to see where we would be staying for the next month and as we opened the door my heart was full. It was as if the Lord had taken all of my fears and anxieties of the last few days and given our team more than we could have ever imagined in return. Saying goodbye to my family and coming to the realization that I would not be back in just a couple of weeks had really sunken in and sometimes something as simple as a bed is sweet reminder that Lord will always provide.
The people, this place where do I begin? As the weeks progressed we have learned more about the Albanian people and their strong desire to share. To share life, food, company and anything else they have to offer. As I walked around our new city and observed, I was struck by how much these people do not need us. Their way of life is beautiful. The way they view family as a sacred group and the way they walk down the street greeting everyone as they go. Their eagerness to learn, their bravery to try new things and their lack of fear when it comes to failing are all things that I admire. This was a lesson in humility and a reminder that we need Jesus first and foremost. As I was being reminded of this, I read a chapter in a book called Love Does, that made a really good point. “They call what the rest of us call normal acts of kindness ministry or go on a wonderful adventure to see another country and call it a mission trip.” Reading this made me really question my heart and why I am here. It has also made me re-think about using the words mission or missionary. Using those words can sometimes lead you to believe that you have something that people need.
Love Does, goes on to say, “What I like about Jesus is that he didn’t try to recruit people or use spin. Neither he nor his disciples ever said they were going on a mission trip, because they weren’t. He just invited everyone and said they could follow him.” What if we all just lived out life the way Jesus and his disciples did. What if being kind to everyone was second nature and did not have to be this grand gesture. What if that was just the way we lived?
In the past weeks I have received more than I have given. I have been poured into by our host family and all of the students that we have meet. I have learned more about about myself in the past few days than I have in a long time. I have gone through many emotions, overwhelming joy, deep connection with the Lord, frustrations, convictions, being homesick, and revelation. As these past two weeks have progressed, the one thing that has been a constant is the Lord and how he is constantly pursing us. Through great joys and hardship he is always there walking us through things, we just have to have open ears and hearts.
In Proverbs it says,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
This verse jumped out at me and this week it was exactly want I needed to hear. A lot of times I feel like I have to have everything figured out. I have to know what is happening around me and have a deep understanding of the people I am surrounded by. However, my understanding cannot be compared to the Lord, who knows all. Its hard to remember that sometimes but, it something I am working towards. By submitting and trusting in him he will make our paths straight by not submitting we are making things more complicated for ourselves.
Another thing that I have seen here is a pride in community and country and a lack of selfishness, that has created bravery and confidence. As I think back to my experiences inside a classroom learning Spanish I remember how degrading it was and how unintelligent I felt. I was quiet and did not want to speak up because of my own fear. Thinking about this I found myself asking what if we in America built each other up? What would it look like if we cared for one another instead of tearing one another down? In all of this my heart keeps going back to the multiple students that have said their dream is to come to America. For the ones that will eventually make it I hope that they will be received with open arms and warm smiles, as we were. In the short amount of time I have been here I fallen in love with these people. The simplicity of life and the deep love and devotion to one another. All things that have reek Jesus whether people know Him or not.
